1. Field of the Invention
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to allowing a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) control point to recognize various entities, and more particularly, to a method of recognizing a UPnP device or UPnP content detected by a UPnP control point in a UPnP network even when the UPnP device or UPnP content is not a physical device or content, to an architecture and description of a device for showing the UPnP device or UPnP content in the UPnP network, and to a configuration and method for presenting the UPnP device or UPnP content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since a personal computer (PC) can automatically recognize peripherals using a Plug and Play function, a user can easily install peripherals. UPnP is a technique of extending the Plug and Play function all over a network and allows devices, such as PCs, peripherals, and home appliances, to automatically recognize each other when they are connected to the network.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a related art UPnP network system.
Referring to FIG. 1, the UPnP network system includes a control point 11 and UPnP devices 12 and 13. In particular, UPnP devices 12 and 13 can be a media server and a media renderer, respectively.
The control point 11 recognizes UPnP devices existing in a network and controls the recognized UPnP devices.
The media server 12 provides UPnP content. The media server 12 may be a media server providing media content. In particular, the media server 12 must provide a content directory service and a connection manager service. The content directory service allows the control point 11 to discover information on UPnP content which a UPnP device has. The connection manager service is used to enumerate and select a transmission protocol and data format for transmitting UPnP content.
The media renderer 13 renders UPnP content provided by the media server 12 according to UPnP. The media renderer 13 may be a digital TV reproducing media content. In particular, the media renderer 13 must provide a rendering control service and the connection manager service. The rendering control service allows the control point 11 to control various rendering capabilities of a UPnP device.
A UPnP device is recognized by the control point 11 as follows. The UPnP device transmits an advertisement message to the control point 11. The control point 11 recognizes the UPnP device by obtaining a specification of the UPnP device from the UPnP device.
In another way, a UPnP device is recognized by the control point 11 as follows. The content directory service provided by the media server 12 generates metadata of UPnP content. The control point 11 recognizes the UPnP content by obtaining the metadata of the UPnP content through a browse( ) action or a search( ) action of the content directory service.
Related art UPnP defines configurations of UPnP devices, a configuration of UPnP content, and a protocol between the UPnP devices and a control point, wherein a UPnP standard is prescribed based on the stereotype that the UPnP devices are physical devices, such as a media server and home appliances, e.g., a digital TV, and that the UPnP content is classical content such as media content. However, by classifying the objects into UPnP devices or UPnP content, the type of objects which can be accessible on a network according to UPnP is limited, thereby contravening the generality aimed for by UPnP.